Purpose
Evaluate an object or phenomenon that interests you and deserves your attention. Write to a specific audience, one who can act upon or respond to your evaluation, and write with a specific purpose in mind.
Invention
Keep the following in mind as you brainstorm/draft:
Choose a specific object/phenomenon to evaluate, and explain why it should be evaluated.
Identify the category in which you are placing your subject, and develop criteria for evaluating something in that category. For example, if you were evaluating The Office, you would decide whether you wanted to categorize it as a mockumentary, an American comedy, an Emmy-award winning show, a workplace comedy, etc.
Once you know the subject and category for this paper, brainstorm a long list of evaluative criteria that could be applied to your subject/category and then determine which criteria are most important for your subject/purpose, keeping your specific audience in mind.
Develop an argument that demonstrates why your subject meets the criteria for the category you have chosen, or why the subject needs to be re-categorized. (e.g., The Office should be considered a mockumentary and not just a workplace comedy, because...)
Consider your purpose and intended audience--is your evaluation of your subject informative, entertaining, and/or persuasive?
Reconsider your exigence for your paper. How does your subject relate to your exigence?
Expectations
A successful critical review will:
Explain why the subject should be evaluated (why your reader should care);
Place the topic in a precise category;
Develop evaluative criteria by which you will make your key judgments, negative and/or positive (these criteria should be agreeable to your audience, or you should offer an argument showing that they are valid criteria);
Use concrete evidence and examples that illustrate how the subject/phenomenon does or does not meet each evaluative criterion; and
Compare and contrast your subject with others in the same category in order to help the reader understand your claims.
Length: 3-4 pages (double-spaced) Rough Draft Due: September 7, 2011 Final Assignment Portfolio Due: September 9, 2011
Assignment #1: Critical Review (Evaluation)
Purpose
Evaluate an object or phenomenon that interests you and deserves your attention. Write to a specific audience, one who can act upon or respond to your evaluation, and write with a specific purpose in mind.
Invention
Keep the following in mind as you brainstorm/draft:
Expectations
A successful critical review will:
Length: 3-4 pages (double-spaced)
Rough Draft Due: September 7, 2011
Final Assignment Portfolio Due: September 9, 2011